Improvement in wheel-plows



w. P. swEENY.

Wheel-Flows. l No. 137,975. PatentedAprilwna/a.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM P. SWEENY, OF MARINE, ILLINOIS.

IMPRQVM'ENT IN WHEL-PLWS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 137,975, dated April 15, 1873 application filed September 27, 1872.

' is a specification:

This invention relates to wheel-plows of the class which are supported upon one large wheel upon the land-side, and are also provided with a small wheel running on the unbroken ground directly in front of the plowshare, and by means of which the depth of the out may be to some extent regulated as well as the share be lifted out of the soil.

My improvement consists in combining with the plow-beam a caster-wheel, which is suspended therefrom by an adjustable lever controlled by locking devices suoli as hereinafter more specifically pointed out; the parts being so arranged relatively that, on the release of the lever, it, together with the caster-Wheel, will lift the front end of the plowbeam on the forward progression of the machine. Figure l is a side elevation of a wheelplow with my improvement attached. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same. Fig. 3 is a view, on an enlarged scale, of the caster-wheel and its connections.

The same letters of reference are used in all the figures in the designation of identical parts.

The wheel A is a swiveling or caster wheel to facilitate the turning of the plow. It is suspended from the lower end of the lever B, which is pivoted to the metallic frame C at o. The upper arm of the lever moves in contact with the aro C of the frame G, and is provided with a spring-bolt, B1, which may enter the notches o in the arc, and in that way sta tion the lever at any desired point on the arc.

The springlbolt is linked to a lifter, B2, pivoted to the lever at the handle, as clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 3. The frame C is rig idly secured to the plow-beam D at about its mid-length, and it is so arranged that the caster-wheel, when its axis is perpendicularly under the fulcrum of the lever, will run on the ground a little in advance of the share E and hold the front end of the plow-beam elevated so that the share will be held above the ground, .tilted up at the point, as clearly shown in Fig. l. The caster-wheel is not permitted to oscillate to the rear any further, the motion of the lever being checked by the frame when it has reached the perpendicular of the fulcrum c. The share is lowered to cut into the soil by pulling the upper arm of the lever rearward, which oscillates the caster- Wheel forward, and, by decreasing the perpendicular height'between its axis and the fnlcrum ou the frame C, causes the descent of the front end of the plow-beam. When it becomes necessary to lift the share ont of the ground the operator simply unlocks the lever and holds the spring-bolt elevated; the casterwheel will at once become stationary', andthe draft upon the plow-beam will pull the lever B forward until checked, at which time the position of the parts will be that illustrated in Fig. l.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

The beam of a wheel-plow in combination with caster-wheel A, lever B, a locking-latch attached .to the lever, and a fixed notched arc, C c', all arranged and operating substantially in the manner and for the purpose specified.

WM. P. SWEENY. Witnesses:

LOUIS RrEsE, M. SPANGENBERG. 

